Ramsey Nijem's Palestinian roots providing extra importance at UFC Fight Night 39

ABU DHABI – For most of the 18 mixed martial artists competing on this weekend’s “UFC Fight Night 39: Nogueira vs. Nelson” event, the trip to Abu Dhabi for the card is a bit of a curiosity. For California native Ramsey Nijem, it’s an absolute honor.

“I’m excited,” Nijem told MMAjunkie. “I think it’s going to be a really cool experience. Being Palestinian, I get to go fight in the Middle East. I’m in the UFC, and I get to fight on the sport’s biggest stage in front of my heritage, my people, my roots.

“I have a feeling it’s going to be a really cool experience. I’m not worried about jet lag or anything like that. I’m just more focused on the fight and the performance.”

Nijem, who was born in Concord, Calif., to a Palestinian immigrant father, still has family in the Middle East. And while the event represents his first trip to Abu Dhabi, he’s previously visited the region and is ecstatic about an opportunity to return.

“My dad was born in Palestine and grew up there before he moved to the States, so it’s not too far disconnected,” Nijem said. “I’ve been there. I have cousins that live in Dubai and a lot of family that still lives in the Middle East.

“To be able to go and actually fight and put on a performance there, that’s really exciting. The majority of the crowd is going to be Middle Eastern, and I think it’s an amazing opportunity.”

For added flavor in the matchup, Nijem (8-4 MMA, 4-3 UFC) faces undefeated prospect Beneil Dariush (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC), an Iranian product who now makes his home in Yorba Linda. The two meet on the preliminary card of the event, which which takes place at Abu Dhabi’s du Arena and streams live on UFC Fight Pass, the UFC’s recently launched online network.

“I don’t think some people realize how big of a fight this is for the region,” Nijem said. “That’s a pretty natural rivalry there in the Middle East. I don’t know if the UFC realized it or if that was the intent. Maybe they did realize it and thought, ‘Heck yeah. Let’s do this.’

“I put my heart and soul into this camp. There’s definitely a lot of pressure being a Palestinian and fighting in the Middle East to put on a good performance. So I’m really just anxious, and in my camp, I’ve done everything I can.”

Nijem, a finalist on 2011's “The Ultimate Fighter 13,” competes for the second time this year after earning an impressive win over Justin Edwards in January. It was Nijem’s first appearance since shifting his training to Tareq Azim’s Empower facility in San Francisco, and the fighter says the change offered enough benefits in both his professional and personal life that he decided to leave his longtime residence in Utah in favor of returning to California.

“I was wanting a little bit of a change, and I have a lot of family in the Bay Area,” Nijem said. “But there are different training partners here and a little bit of a different coaching style now that Tareq Azim is my head coach. He’s really getting in my head and keeping me focused.

“I like to move around. I always have, and I didn’t really have a lot of roots in Utah. I don’t have family there, and I had a really good camp last time and a really good performance last time, so I kind of wanted to repeat that. Plus I enjoy the Bay Area. It’s more fun being 26 and living in the Bay Area rather than Orem, Utah.”

Nijem showed real promise during a three-fight win streak in the early stages of his UFC run. Back-to-back losses in 2013 left some doubt as to whether the lightweight truly had the talent to compete at the sport’s highest level. But with his most recent performance, Nijem believes he’s finally ready to deliver on his full potential.

And it starts with a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“I feel like I’m going to go out there and put on a good performance,” Nijem said. “Matchup-wise, I feel Dariush is a great matchup for me. I see myself picking up a win with a very violent finish.

“I definitely have a chance to be a hometown hero being Palestinian. I’m going to go out there and out on a good performance. Make sure you’re watching this fight.”

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